Friday of Worry: Biggest single day spike of 49 COVID-19 cases in Assam

May 22: As people stranded outside the state started to pour in, the number of coronavirus cases has been on the rise in Assam. It is quite obvious when people from the hotspots are travelling back to their home states, there will definitely be a spike in the number of positive cases. 22 May was indeed a day of worry for Assam as 49 new COVID-19 positive cases were recorded in the state within a span of 24 hours, the highest single day rise so far. Prior to this, on 19 May, 42 persons in Assam were infected. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Assam stands at 259. However, the number of active cases are 198.

The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state was 210 on 21 May. But on 22 May, the numbers went on increasing almost the whole day. All eyes seemed to be on the twitter page of State Health Minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. Here is the complete sequence of how the positive cases were reported on 22 May.

1. 22 May, 08.00 AM: Two positive cases– They are from at Zonal Quarantine Centre at Tezpur University.
2. 22 May, 11.00 AM: Two positive cases– They are from Sivasagar and were in quarantine at Jorhat centre
3. 22 May, 03.10 PM: Two positive cases– They are from Silchar quarantine centre & belong to Cachar and Hailakandi.
4. 22 May, 04.00 PM: Six positive cases– All are from Tezpur quarantine centre & belong to Sonitpur district.
5. 22 May, 06.20 PM: Eight positive cases– 1 each from MMCH & SMCH, 6 from Cachar district.
6. 22 May, 07.45 PM: Twenty Six positive cases–  They are all from Sarusajai Quarantine Centre in Guwahati.
7. 22 May, 09.15 PM: Three positive cases– one each from Nagaon, Sivasagar and Tinsukia.

With the addition of 49 new cases, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Assam went upto 259. Out of this, 54 persons were already discharged, 4 of them died, while 3 were migrated. That means, at present, there are 198 active cases in Assam. As the numbers are soaring up at an alarming rate, it’s essential for the people to stay at home as far as possible, follow social distancing and hygiene norms. Further, to stay safe, people must also follow government advisory of wearing face masks and washing hands frequently with soap.